Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day, everyone!

Today is the day we celebrate Dads and those we consider dads everywhere! Take the time today to tell your father or father figure that you love them, and that you appreciate what they do for you.

Wonder Woman #58 (September 1991)

The War of the Gods is kicking up! In a previous entry, I looked at Diana picking up the pieces of the War, so I thought this: Since Wonder Woman's movie came out to great critical and financial success, and I wanted to review a Wonder Woman comic in celebration, why not review the first Wonder Woman comic that tied in to War of the Gods? So, here it is, Wonder Woman #58!

The cover is awesome, but then again, it's George Perez, it's going to be awesome. It's got Atlas standing on some columns, holding up the world. Amazons are falling from it like water from an over-filled cup, and Hercules is hanging onto a column. I can't help but wonder one thing. What are the columns standing on?

And then there's a shadowy Diana's head looking at all this. What is that expression on her face?

"Atlas Shrugged"
Writer: George Perez
Penciller: Jill Thompson
Inker: Romeo Tanghal
Letterer: John Constanza
Colorist: Nansi Hoolahan
Associate Editor: Tom Peyer
Editor: Karen Berger

The story begins with Wonder Woman praying at a temple.

Diana's life is going through...a bit of upheaval, let's just say. A fellow Amazon named Hellene died at the hands of one of Diana's enemies, others including her mother Hippolyte are missing, and something happened with Julia Kapatelis, one of Diana's first mortal friends in the Post-COiE continuity. She tried to call upon the Greek pantheon's resident messenger, Hermes, as he was one of the only ones in it who actually bothered to talk to her, but he's silent.

A couple of other Amazons approach, expressing worry Diana has been praying for two days, and hasn't had anything to eat or drink. Probably hasn't slept much either. The three Amazons discuss Wonder Woman's recent issues, and Diana feels like someone has opened her personal Pandora's Box. One of the Amazons, Pythia, also has some further bad news: another Amazon named Iphthime is calling for war, wanting blood for Hellene's death.

Elsewhere in Themyscira, a ritual is going down. Unlike in Defenders #94 , this one is rather innocent. It's a healing ritual. An Amazon named Menalippe is getting treatment for her injuries, but she's not woken up from her coma. She's the Amazons' oracle, and something happened that broke her spirit. Her girlfriend Penelope is beside herself. Suddenly, Menalippe wakes up, and has to talk to Diana. The Gods are making a comeback.

We then next switch scenes to Patriarch's, or Man's World. Particularly, Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts. Hey, I lived near there once! A thunderstorm darkens the sky, broken only by brief flashes of light by the crash of lightning. Lt. Etta Candy and General Hillary, two of Wonder Woman's allies, have been summoned to another man's office. A man named General Yedziniak. Yedziniak is heading an investigation, and he considers the two officers people of interest in it. As such, he has another person of interest:

One Steve Trevor, brought forward in chains. Hillary is outraged by this, but Yedziniak reminds Trevor that Trevor has a bit of a history of escaping military custody, especially where Wonder Woman is involved. He explains the world is on the verge of war, and he blames the Amazons for it.

In New Jersey, an Army convoy is carting a group of captured Amazons...somewhere. I don't know. The soldiers don't consider them much of a threat, until they remember the injuries the people who cuffed them took. The soldiers act like jackwagons to the Amazon captives, until the trucks explode, and the surviving soldiers are...removed.

The Amazons' liberators are...Amazons themselves, who appear to have an African/Arabian theme to them.

They are seemingly more bloodthirsty than the Themysciran Amazons, and based on the grenades on one of their belts, they clearly are familiar with modern explosives. One uses a gas grenade to knock out the Amazon prisoners. They leave with them, leaving a survivor, so he can tell others what happened here, as Circe ordered. Back in Themyscira, the Amazons get a surprise visitor: Hercules, the son of Zeus.

Funny enough, this take on Herc kind of resembles the Marvel version of the character a little bit. The head band, the hair, the green. Kind of funny.

Menalippe asks why Herc didn't go with Diana and Hermes. I don't know, I think it was something that happened in the main War of the Gods mini. The Roman gods thought he'd be of better use down in Themyscira. Basically with Diana unavailable, they figured he'd be a good substitute to protect them. An angry Iphthime wants to know why the gods took so long to help them out. Pythia shushes her, hoping that Herc could give some info on where Queen Hippolyte is. Herc is puzzled by this, and say he has no idea.

Ipthime is enraged by this, as the gods should be all-knowing. Menalippe remarks that it's impossible. Pythia is desperate, wanting to save her soul-child, Julia Kapatelis. Yeah, see here for the story between them. Themsycira rumbles, a cackling filling the air. Hercules knows who it is, and wants the fastest horse Themyscira has.

Pythia puts on some armor and grabs a pair of winged sandals, the...Winged Sandals of Hermes. An Amazon named Myrrha reminds her that only Diana can use them, and Pythia can't fly. Pythia explains that she has to get to Julia, and the sandals may be the only way she can get to Patriarch's World. She takes to the air...and the sandals take her for a ride.

Hercules arrives at an area on Themyscira called Doom's Doorway, the archway reduced to rubble. Herc casually tosses the rubble aside, and races in. Yeah, this is the Marvel Herc alright. The Amazons arrive to help, but Herc tells them he's got this. He falls, and lands on a column. The cause for the shaking stands revealed.

Atlas, the man who holds up the world! And evidently has daughters, based on the flowers in his hair. Atlas takes a shot at Herc's intelligence, then explains he has no idea why he is there. Herc commands him to release Themyscira, but Atlas is like, "LOL, nope", and shrugs. His shrugging causes more devastation to the island.

Meanwhile, we find out where Pythia went off to. She tumbles though some clouds, where she sees Hermes battling Mercury, his Roman counterpart. She gets overcome by a light, and she finds herself in a stone temple. She hears chanting in modern Greek, and realizes she's been led to Circe.

Atlas flicks a boulder at Hercules. It doesn't hurt him, but it does knock him off the column he's standing on. Before that, Herc laughs off the boulder, saying it wouldn't stop a "son of Zeus", which makes Atlas stop. Zeus? Hercules explains he's actually Heracles, the Roman counterpart of Herc. Atlas realizes they're strangers. Wait, didn't Atlas ever encounter the Greek Herc?

Atlas starts to vanish, blaming Heracles. Heracles insists he's not behind it. Atlas realizes it was "the boy". Heracles wants to now what he meant by that but Atlas vanishes. Heracles, swearing to save Themyscira, leaps to catch the island. He screams "FATHER!" as the island comes down on him.

We next go to Boston, where one Ed Indelicato, a Boston PD officer and friend of Diana's, is drinking some beers and looking over some police files. Eddie is being noir at the moment. He's just buried his partner, Mike Shands (His police partner), and he's got a head full of regrets. Mainly, he regrets not listening to him about being blindly devoted to Diana. As a form of penance, he's taken Mike's files, wanting to finish what he started.

The murder of the Amazon Hellene by Cheetah, the disappearance of Julia Kapatelis and Hippolyta, Dr. Psycho, and all the craziness rocking the world. Ed knows it's all connected. But he just can't figure it out. He sees the picture, but doesn't have the pieces to complete the puzzle, as it were.  He then hears someone call for him.

Ed is shocked to see Diana in his apartment. He asks her where she's been, and she explains there's a War of the Gods going on. TITLE DROP! She got tossed around, and then ended up in his apartment, because gods are crazy like that. She didn't know where else to go, but Ed tells her it's alright, and that she's safe there. Diana reconsiders, saying she doesn't want to put Ed in danger, but Ed refuses. The comic ends with him telling her the only way she's getting away from him is over his dead body.

This issue was an enjoyable one. I didn't feel I really had to need the first issue of the War of the Gods miniseries to read this one. It is a bit of a dense story, but it's a good kind of dense. You get a feeling that a lot is going down, which is appropriate, as War of the Gods is depicting the DC Universe literally dealing with a war involving various pantheons. Jill Thompson's pencils are clean, and nice to look at.

Next time, in honor of a certain Wakandan monarch's upcoming movie, we'll take a look at the beginnings of the Panther's Rage...

Metroid: Samus Returns Trailer, My Thoughts

E3 2017 has been hitting us with a LOT of game trailers for future releases. Nintendo has not disappointed, revealing various games for their current platforms: the handheld 3DS, and the Console/handheld hybrid Switch. However, one trailer for a future release has got fans into a tizzy.

Yes, that's right, the Metroid series is roaring back with a bang! Not only are we getting this, we're also getting a new Metroid Prime game, number four! Alright! I have played the original Metroid Prime, and really enjoyed it, one of the best games on the GameCube.

Now, from what I understand, this game is essentially a remake/reimagining of the 1991 Game Boy game Metroid II: Return of Samus, like Metroid: Zero Mission for the Game Boy Advance was a remake of the original Metroid for the NES. That's pretty neat. I never played the original Game Boy version, so it's great that it's been given a shiny remake, so those like me who missed out can give this shiny new version a try.

The game really looks amazing. It's so bright and colorful. It shows a variety of palettes, and we get to see Samus use what might be a variety of weapons. And she's also packing a melee attack! That's awesome! I've never seen her use one of those in any of the Metroid games I've played. Although to be fair, I've only played Zero Mission, Super Metroid, and Metroid Prime. And I do keep meaning to pick up Federation Force...

According to this, Samus can fire in any angle, unlike the original. That's nice. Take advantage of the 3DS having a Control Stick. Also, the music is being composed by two of the same people who composed music for Super Metroid. That's a nice callback to Metroid's past.

This game looks like it will be awesome! I can't wait to grab it when September comes!

Defenders #94 (April 1981)

First of all, I want to say, I apologize for the delay. I meant to put this up last night, but I plumb forgot. And with that, let's begin the review!

In the Marvel Universe, there are many groups of superpowered beings. The Avengers, the heroes who stand against the greatest threats to Earth. The Fantastic Four, who explore the universe and dimensions beyond. The Guardians of the Galaxy, the protectors of the cosmos. The X-Men, who stand to protect a world that fears and hates them. The Marvel Universe also has many superteams in other countries: Japan's Big Hero 6. Russia's Winter Guard. Canada's Alpha Flight. Great Britain's Excalibur and MI:13. And then...there are the Defenders.

Who are the Defenders? Well, the Defenders could be considered a less formal team than many other superhero teams in comics. The big thing about the Defenders is that they are often considered a "non-team". The roster is often composed of characters that could be considered "outsiders". In fact, the original four Defenders were Doctor Strange, the Incredible Hulk, Namor, and the Silver Surfer.

Through the 1970s into the mid-1980s, the group has battled various threats (mainly of the mystical/supernatural bent), and had quite an interesting roster over the years, including Daimon "the Son of Satan" Hellstrom, Valkyrie, and even Luke Cage. The group has appeared in various forms over the years, including the Fearless Defenders, which focused on Marvel's female superheroes. And with the Defenders miniseries coming to Netflix, a new series is on its way, focused on Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Daredevil.

So, with that, let's take a look at some old-school Defenders action!

The cover is really awesome. You got Valkyrie and Doctor Strange recoiling from and preparing to face off against a demonic Hellcat, who is doing a "Booga-booga" pose. Daimon Hellstrom's back is killing him, and they're all standing on a hand with demon heads on the fingertips. It's a great cover and really well drawn.

"Beware--The Six-Fingered Hand!"
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Artists: Don Perlin (layouts), Joe Sinnott (Finishes)
Letterer: Diana Albers
Colorist: George Roussos
Editor: Al Milgrom
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

Our story begins with what looks like a ball of fire heading towards a house in Montclair, New Jersey, to the shock of some on-lookers.

What was the fiery comet? Why, the Defenders of course! Doctor Strange, the Master of Mystic Arts, the Sorcerer Supreme. Daimon Hellstrom, the demonic exorcist, the Son of Satan. Valkyrie, the chooser of the slain, the Warrior-Woman of Asgard! Now, I know what you're thinking. Wait, THESE guys? Where is Luke Cage? Where is Daredevil? Aren't the Defenders street-level heroes? Well, not back in these days. Cage and Fist were working as Heroes for Hire at the time. Daredevil was doing his own thing, and Jessica Jones hadn't been created yet.

They've come to the aid of a fellow Defender, one Patricia "Patsy" Walker, aka Hellcat. If you saw the Netflix series Jessica Jones, this is Trish Walker. Strange, Daimon, and Valkyrie are the only Defenders available, as Nighthawk is dealing with an illness, and the Hulk has gone off on his own. Daimon notices that the psycho-sensitive metal in his trident is reacting to the house, which indicates that there's an illusion over the house. Strange undoes it, and reveals the house is actually a smoking ruin. Daimon notices something else.

Evidently, the people who burned down the house were inspired by Dungeons and Dragons to create this trap. The heroes hear some moaning from the rubble, and they find a injured woman under some rubble. It's Dolly Donahue, Patsy's housekeeper. Dolly explains that she was watching a small TV in the kitchen while Patsy was dealing with the death of her mother in Defenders #89. Dolly heard screaming, and she saw a monster carrying Patsy away.

Everyone, say hello to Isaac Christians, the Gargoyle. This issue is also his debut. But his origins will be revealed later. The Gargoyle uses his powers to destroy Patsy's house. With that story told, Dolly embraces sweet, sweet, sweet unconsciousness. The scene shifts to Christiansboro, Virginia. A young boy dreams of death and damnation. An old man trembles under his kitchen table. And in City Hall, a rather...unusual town hall is taking place.

That's right, folks! It's a good ol' fashioned demonic sacrifice ritual! In the old town hall tonight! Be there or be...whatever. They're planning to sacrifice Patsy to a demon called Avarrish. Avarrish is one of the many demons running around in the Marvel Universe, and is one part of the Six-Fingered Hand.

Back at Patsy's former home, the Defenders got Dolly to a hospital, and Strange put a spell over the town, so they'd think that there was only a fire, nothing more. Daimon fumes with rage, blaming himself over what happened here. Strange reminds him that if Daimon gives in to his rage, his Satanic heritage will take over. Daimon calms down and tells a story of his own.

During his days working in the para-psychology department at District University, a girl that was seemingly possessed was brought to him. He examined her with his trident and found that she was actually driven insane, muttering the words "Six-Fingered Hand" over and over and over again. Probing with his psycho-sensitive trident, he gets this image from it.

Yes, it's the Six-Fingered Hand, alright. Hellstrom explained he had to warn the other Defenders, but with all the craziness the group has been dealing with lately, he's never really had a chance to say anything about it. Valkyrie wonders what can be done. Hellstrom uses his trident to find where Patsy is at, because it can do that. The trident reveals the town hall of Christiansboro, and the three heroes are on their way. Doctor Strange uses his astral form to contact Clea. She asks if the group needs help, but he tells her to tend to Nighthawk, as he needs her at the moment.

You see, at the time, Nighthawk suffered a mystical attack that left his body paralyzed. Clea goes to check on him, and finds he's vanished. About a half-hour later, our trio of heroes arrive in Christiansboro. Valkyrie notices that the town looks...rather nice and quaint. Gargoyle senses their presence, as Daimon, in his ever-understanding way, snaps that evil thrives in duplicity, that evil would use a quaint, friendly appearance to make people put their guard down. The group are ambushed by Gargoyle, leading a legion of demons.

This would be an awesome shot in a movie. Imagine it, the demons coming at them in slow motion. Incredible. The three heroes fight back, Daimon's darker heritage causing him to hunger for demon blood. Gargoyle attacks the Son of Satan, screaming that Avarrish is going to save Christiansboro from despair and poverty. He tries to get the Defenders to leave, but they end up fighting. The town hall starts to glow, and Daimon gets blasted. The blaster is revealed to be Patsy "Hellcat" Walker, transformed into a demonic cat-woman. She's an actual Hellcat now!

Her appearance here doesn't quite match her transformed appearance on the cover, though. The cover take on her has a fuzzy tail, different-cut swimsuit, and some fur on her shins and forearms. There clearly was some miscommunication between the comic's creatives and the cover artist. Differences in appearance aside, Hellcat attacks our heroes. Daimon realizes that Patsy has been possessed by Avarrish, and tries to exorcise her. It doesn't go very well.

Daimon's efforts aren't for naught, as Doctor Strange is able to recover and take his shot at freeing Hellcat. Sadly, Avarrish proves to be too powerful, and is able to take him down too. Valkyrie throw down her sword, knowing her fighting would be fruitless. Patsy tries to choke Val out, but the Asgardian pleads with Patsy to fight her, telling her she's stronger than the demon.

Look at the little detail between these two panels. It's a great subtle way of showing the real Patsy trying to fight off her possession. Patsy manages to successfully fight off Avarrish, and the townspeople emerge from the town hall in a haze. When the Defenders get them caught up, they are enraged. They blame it on an old man named Isaac Christians.

His family built up the town from nothing over a century and a half ago, and the elderly Isaac was the last of the family line. He was also the mayor of the town, but age forced him into retirement. He started babbling about demons and monsters, but everyone thought he was just being a crazy old man. They take our heroes to his home, and find a dark room, Christians begging to be left alone. Strange pulls back the curtains and...

There sits Isaac Christians, the very same gargoyle that attacked the Defenders. The townspeople are shocked by his transformation, and wonder why did he let that happen to him. Christians explains he did it because he wanted to save the dying town, the same town his family built from nothing. He was desperate, so he made a deal with Avarrish: Let him turn Isaac into a gargoyle, and Isaac must help him take over the body of Patsy Walker, and Avarrish would make the town thrive once more. I'm guessing Avarrish wanted to troll Isaac a little.

When the Defenders came to Christiansboro, Avarrish told Isaac to kill them. However, Isaac didn't want nayone else hurt, so he instead tried to warn the Defenders to get away from the town. As punishment, Avarrish trapped him in the Gargoyle form. What made me scratch my head was, if the Gargoyle body was a punishment, why didn't he keep Christians human for the possession ritual? My guess is he turned him into a Gargoyle so he would be able to protect the ritual from intruders.

Doctor Strange asks Gargoyle if he knows anything about the plans of the Six-Fingered Hand, including the reason why they want the Defenders dead. Gargoyle explains that he has no idea, Avarrish didn't tell him anything, but the world would find out soon. Christians offers to help the Defenders as a way of making up for what he has done. Strange considers it and agrees. Hellstrom is more reluctant to the idea, fearing that Christians will betray the group. The Gargoyle reassures him he'll be loyal, pointing out he fought for his country in both World Wars. Keep in mind, this comic was released in 1981. Christians was already an elderly man, so it was plausible at the time he could have served in World War I and II.

A teary-eyed Patsy Walker remarks that she feels like she went to Hell. Daimon reassures her it's over, and she will be fine. Patsy says she won't be. While she and Avarrish were joined together, she learned that her mother, Dorothy Walker, promised Patsy's soul to the Six-Fingered Hand. See, at the time, Dorothy Walker had recently passed away from cancer. Before she died, she made a deal with Avarrish, giving her Patsy's soul in exchange for healing her. It explains why the Gargoyle kidnapped her instead of some random person. The Defenders unknowingly foiled the exchange. Yeah, Dorothy Walker was not exactly the best of mothers.

This issue...was actually quite enjoyable. It's a fun read if you're looking for a little something on Halloween. I have no real complaints about it. The Gargoyle is a tragic character, proof of the phrase "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". The twist with Patsy was shocking, and it's neat seeing superheroes brawl with demons. The art is also very well-done. It made the comic very nice to look at. Next time, in honor of her big-screen solo debut, we'll take a look at a classic adventure of Wonder Woman...

Black Panther Trailer, My Thoughts

The MCU is on the move! We've traveled to space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, saved the world from aliens and robots with the Avengers, we're going to travel to the African nation of Wakanda. That's right! We got a teaser trailer for Black Panther's solo MCU film! Let's take a look!

The trailer begins with Everett K. Ross talking to Ulysses Klaue. I noticed that Klaue's arm is missing. I think he had both his arms when he appeared in Age of Ultron, so it's possible that Panther may have taken his arm. Anyway, Klaue asks Ross what he knows about Wakanda. According to Ross, Wakanda is a Third World nation, which specializes in textiles, shepherds, and lots of cool outfits. Klaue basically says, "Nope. Wakanda has a secret."

He claims that Wakanda's impression of being a poor nation is a front, comparing it to El Dorado, the city of gold. It makes sense. In the comics, Wakanda is one of the most technologically-advanced, yet isolationist countries on Earth. We see a sneak peek thanks to the flying craft, man that thing looks cool. I kind of expected it to have a cat motif. Klaue claims he's seen what a technological wonderland Wakanda truly is...and he's the only man to see it and live.

Black Panther kicks some dudes' butts, and shows that his costume is still bulletproof. Klaue starts laughing, and we see that this interrogation is being observed by T'Challa and his...bodyguard? Assistant? *looks up* Oh, it's the head of the Dora Milaje. Okay.  Anyway, the look he has his great. It's almost like he's saying, "Can someone please smack this guy"?

Good Lord, Wakanda looks amazing! That cityscape is incredible!

Some dudes blowing open a wall, one in a mask. Either they want to rescue Klaue or kill him.

Back Panther doing the whole "Come at me, bro" thing.

We do see a bit with Klaue trying to shoot someone, and he does have both his arms. Yeah, Panther's going to take an arm.

There's Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger. He kinda looks like a mix of a punk-rocker and a Power Ranger. Based on the suit, he's also the dude in the mask. I'm guessing he'll be up to some shenanigans.

How does that dude talk with that big plate in his lip?

With the voiceover, I think we're going to see T'Challa struggle with the tough things he'll have to do as the new king of Wakanda, and the conflict it will have with his honorable nature.

Danai Gurira kicking butt. Awesome.

We see Angela Bassett as Ramonda, BP's mom. Killmonger vs. the Dora Milaje looks to be one heck of a brawl.

According to what I have heard, T'Challa will be dealing with a plot to take down the kingdom. I think this film just may take some nods to Ta'Nehisi Coates's recent run on the Panther's solo book.

This was one cool trailer! I really enjoyed watching it, and I can't wait to see this movie!

Wonder Woman: The Movie Review

It is here! Wonder Woman's big screen debut has finally come to theaters! This film has had a lot going against it. It was following up three other films that got mixed to terrible reviews from fans and critics, and it was one of the very few major motion pictures focused on a female superhero. Could Wonder Woman rise to the challenge, or would she crash and burn?

The year is 1918. The First World War is coming to an end, thanks to the upcoming armistice. When American spy Steve Trevor crashes into an island populated by the mythical women warriors known as Amazons, he explains that a German general has a devastating new weapon, one that will ensure victory for the Central Powers. Diana, Princess of the Amazons, fearing Ares is behind it, joins Steve in an effort to save the day.

First, I have to say, it's great to see that Wonder Woman finally gets to join the superheroes that get to have an adventure on the big screen. And...it was really fun. It was a great movie to watch. Gal Gadot really brings it as the Amazing Amazon. She brought a great mix of intensity and naiveté to the role. Her interactions with Chris Pine's Steve Trevor were very enjoyable to watch.

There was a really good cast associated with this movie. However, I do have some issues. One is Lucy Davis. I would have liked to have seen her Etta Candy be a bit more boisterous, act more like the Etta of the Golden Age. Elena Anaya's Doctor Maru/Doctor Poison could have kind of emoted more a little bit. Maybe that facial prosthetic prevented that a bit? Still, it's minor stuff. I did like that this film gave the obscure Dr. Poison some love. I love it when superhero films delve deep into their subjects' mythos.

Also, I would have liked to have known where Wondy was during the events of Man of Steel. You'd think a bunch of Kryptonians coming to Earth and raising hell would have gotten her attention. Was she out on another adventure and couldn't help out? I would've liked an answer to that. Maybe some supplemental material could explain it.

The final battle was incredible. It was action packed, incredibly epic, and reaffirmed what Wonder Woman was all about: That humanity is flawed, but they can rise above their flaws and be better.

Wonder Woman was an amazing film. It was a blast to watch from beginning to end. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it.

Black Lightning #1 (April 1977)

Black Lightning. One of DC's very first African-American superheroes, he watched over the streets of Metropolis's roughest neighborhood while Superman defended the world from massive threats. He is also one of the few superheroes to have a family of his own, with two daughters that became superheroes in their own right: Thunder and Lightning. Although, considering DC's New 52 reboot and Rebirth half-boot, I don't think they exist in the DCU anymore.

Black Lightning has been around for quite a long time. He actually is celebrating his 40th Anniversary this year. Neat, huh? Star Wars isn't the only thing turning the big 4-0 this year. So, in honor of that, and his TV series coming up, I thought it'd be nice to take a look at the very first issue of his first comic series.

The cover is drawn by the late Rich Buckler, which considering his recent passing, is another appropriate reason to look at this comic. It's a basic cover, depicting the titular character beating up some street criminals. It is a well-drawn cover, and it is rather accurate as he does do this in the story.

"Black Lightning"
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artist: Trevor Von Eeden
Inker: Frank Springer
Colorist: Liz Berube
Letterer: P.S. Lisa
Editor: Jack C. Harris

The issue begins with our hero beating up some punks.

 

Look at that suit. It's so gloriously 1970s, with the high collar, low cut, and the afro. He's after a man named Toledo, who sends more thugs to get beaten up by the metahuman superhero. One tries to hithim with a wrench, but he gets a fist for his troubles.

Toledo and some of his men try to shoot at him, but Lightning uses his Olympics-honed athletic abilities to dodge the bullets and take out the thugs. Lightning gets his hands on Toledo and introduces himself.

Lightning tells him he wants information about "The 100", a criminal organization that Toledo works for. Toledo exclaims that that they'll kill him if he talks. Lightning threatens to do the same unless he does talk. He demands Toledo come to the Garfield High School gym at midnight with the info, or he'll basically show hi what happens when lightning strikes twice. Toledo agrees, but makes a plan for it.

Lightning heads towards a tailor shop near the school, and greets Peter Gambi, the man inside.

It's revealed that Peter is the tailor that made Black Lightning's suit. Lightning compliments Peter for the good work he did on the suit, saying no one recognizes him in it. He takes off his mask and afro to reveal Jefferson Pierce, Garfield High School teacher and former Olympian decathlete. I do like that the afro is a wig, as alongside the mask, it provides additional protection of Pierce's identity.

The story then flashes back to two weeks earlier, in which Jefferson Pierce has taken a job as a teacher at Garfield High. He's being shown around by Principal MacNair "Mac" Chapin. Mac shows a trophy case that has Pierce's trophies and collegiate and Olympic medals. Wouldn't Pierce have donated those to the school to fill that case? A proud Mac expressed great happiness at Pierce teaching at the school as he could set a great example for the kids there.

Pierce then sees a student trying to buy some drugs, and he deals with it.

That afternoon, Pierce goes to the brand-new gym, and meets Earl Clifford, star basketball player, track runner, and basically the young man seen as the next Jefferson Pierce. Pierce playfully challenges him to make six basketball shots in a row. Clifford agrees, but the ball gets shot, and the perpetrators reveal themselves.

It's Toledo with two mooks. Ah, 1977. Where gangsters could walk into a high school with their guns out. They are basically not very happy with Pierce telling one of their "salesmen" to take a hike, as it were. As such, they plan to give Pierce a painful lesson in minding his own business. Earl Clifford knocks Toledo in the head with a basketball, allowing Pierce to knock out one of the thugs. Toledo goes after Clifford, but Pierce comes to the rescue, sending the three criminals running. Toledo and his boys report back to their boss.

The boss responds with talking about the ocean, how it can be calm, but its anger can be incredibly destructive. He comments that he misses the ocean, but he will always carry a part of it with him. He then shows he is rather angry about Pierce's actions.

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Tobias Whale. Whale is furious that a teacher was able to send members of the 100 scurrying like rats. Toledo asks for another chance, saying that he'll present Whale Pierce's head on a platter. Whale nixes it, saying that would only make Pierce a martyr, and give people motivation to fight the 100. Instead, they should make Pierce cower before them. He orders them to attack him through his students, as they are Pierce's weakness...

That night, Toledo and his men spot Earl Clifford walking down a street. One of the men asks to talk to Clifford, but Clifford greets him with a punch. They give chase, and end up accidentally running over and killing Clifford. The mooks are shocked by this, as they just wanted to beat him up. Toledo reminds them that Whale ordered them to remind Pierce that the 100 are not to be messed with. As such, he figures a dead student would be a perfect message.

The next day, a girl runs up to Pierce and tells him there's something in the gym. The teacher heads towards there, and is horrified by what he sees.

Earl Clifford trussed up on a basketball backboard like Jesus on the cross. Pierce runs out of the school and heads towards Peter's tailor shop. Peter comforts him by telling him about how Pierce's mother raised him right above the shop, and she'd be proud of all he's accomplished. He also gives Pierce a dose of reality by saying that roughing up one pusher wasn't going to send the 100 packing, especially since the neighborhood was essentially run by them or some other crime boss.

Pierce counters that someone has to fight them. Peter tells him Pierce has his back. But there is a problem. If Pierce takes on the 100, he'll have more Earl Cliffords on his hands. Peter suggests that he instead become a symbol, handing him a costume he made. You know, since this story was set in Metropolis, maybe Peter was inspired by Superman a little bit to make that costume, even on a subconscious level? Pierce tries on the suit.

As I said before, his original costume is just so gloriously 1970s, the high white collar, the low cut of the suit, and of course, the afro. There definitely is a Blaxploitation influence in the costume. The newly-costumed Black Lightning then hunts down Toledo, and this is where the flashback ends. Peter reminds him it's almost midnight. Meanwhile, at the Garfield High gym, Toledo is making preparations for Black Lightning's arrival.

In case you're wondering, the man with the bow? That's Merlyn. Yup, one of Green Arrow's arch-nemeses.

Peter gives Black Lightning a special belt, saying it'll help him get an edge on the 100. I like to imagine that Peter and Jefferson figured Toledo would try something like an ambush, so they made some preparations of their own in the form of the special belt. Lightning leaves, thinking about Gary Cooper in the film High Noon, which makes me think that in canon, Jefferson Pierce should be considered a fan of classic films, like the Scott Lang Ant-Man in the comics. He's ready to take on Toledo and the 100.

Black Lightning #1 is a pretty good story. Much like Marvel Premiere #15, the debut of Iron Fist, most of it is told in flashback. This first issue does everything I feel a first issue should. It gives us an idea of who Jefferson Pierce is, a bit on his backstory that can be expanded on later, a villain for him to fight, and an idea of what he can do. He doesn't quite have his lightning powers yet, but it is shown that he can brawl if he needs to. Trevor Von Eeden's art is very well-done and nice to look at. It's a good origin, with a bit of Blaxploitation in vibe.

Next time, in honor of the big Defenders series coming up, I'm going to take a look at the Defenders as they battle the Six-Fingered Hand...